Lower margin stop mechanism for typewriters



June 13, 1950 c. H. CASTLEBERRY 2,511,045

LOWER MARGI'N STOP MECHANISM FOR TYPEWRITERS Filed Jan. '9, 1948 2Sheets-Sheet 2 w K M IN V EN TOR.

w wmww ATTOR/VFYJ Patented June 13, 1950 LOWER MARGIN STOP MECHANISM FORTYPEWRITERS Columbus H. Gastleberry, Jackson, Mich.

Application January 9, 1948', Serial No. 1,406

Claims.

This invention relates to lower margin stop mechanism for typewriters.

An object of the invention is the provision of a simple and efiicientlower margin stop mechanism which is incorporated in a casing andapplied as a unit directly to any kindof typewriter withoutnecessitating changes in any of the mechanism thereof.

A further object of the invention is the provision of lower margin stopmechanism having a frame which is hinged on a side wall of a casingadapted to be secured to a housing of a typewriter at the rear thereof,said stop mechanism including a toothed wheel adapted to move intoengagement with the ratchet wheel fixed to the platen, a lever pivotedintermediate the ends thereof on a fixed part in the casing being in aposition convenient to the typist for causing, when rocked, the firstgear to be disengaged from the platen gear to permit a mechanism on theframe to return the operating parts of the lower margin stop mechanismto their initial positions.

The invention consists in the novel eonstruction, arrangement andcombinations of parts hereinafter more particularly described andclaimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of a typewriter with part of the housing brokenaway showing my invention applied thereto,

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section through the typewriter showinga rear view of my lower margin stop mechanism in an operative position,

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal vertical section of thetypewriter taken along the line 3-3of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a front view in elevation ofthelower margin stop mechanismwith the housing of the typewriter in section,

Figure 5 is a vertical section through the return mechanism for theelements of the lower margin stop mechanism, and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary horizontal section showing the hinged portionof a screw shaft.

Referring more particularly to the drawings 1 ll designates a casingwhich houses'the lower margin stop mechanism so that said mechanism maybe applied directly to a typewriter II as a unit (Figure 1). Onlycertainelements of the type writer are illustrated, as, the toothedwheel l2 fixed to one end of a shaft I 3 upon which the platen I4is'secured. A'lever l5 operates a pawl I5 which engages the teeth of thewheel 12 -for"rotatin the platen step-by-step to place the paper in aposition to receive the next line of typing crosshe'ad for a purposewhich will be explained In'other words, the lever l5 operates thelinespacer of the typewriter.

A bar 20 (Figure 2) has its ends secured in the opposite side walls 2|and 22 of the casing Ill. Said bar has teeth 23-along the lower edge anda horizontal axle 24 depending from one end thereof adjacent the sidewall 22.

A slide 25 has a rectangular passage receiving the bar-20. A set-screw26 carried by the slide is adapted to fix the slide in an adjustedposition on the bar 20. A finger-21 depends from the slide and acts as astop in a manner which will be presently explained. A pointer 28 alsodepends from the slide and acts as an indicator when moving along aseries of graduations 29 applied along the rear face of the bar 29. Itwill be noted that the vertical graduations pass through the apices ofthe teeth 23 and are numbered from 1 to 16 inclusive.

A U-shaped hinge 30 has its leg 31 pivoted on a .pin 32 carried bybearings 33 secured to the side wall 2| of the casing IS. A guide rod 34has one-end mounted in the hinge 30 while the other end 35 is bentdownwardly and provided with a bearing 36 received by one end 31 of ascrew Shaft 38.

I Acrosshead 40 has a passage 4| receiving the rod 34. A roller 42mounted within the cross-- head-rides on said rod. A toe 43 on the upperend of the crosshead is adapted to engage the finger 2lon theslide 25 tostop movement of the presently. The lower end of the crosshead isprovided with an internally threaded passage 44 toreceive the threads onthe shaft 38.

The shaft 38 has one end 45 mounted in a bearing in' the hinge 30 belowthe rod 34 which is parallel to said shaft. The other end 46 of theshaft 'is-rmounted in an elongated open bearing -4liFigures 1 and 2) inthe side wall 22 of the casing 10 so that the last-mentioned end of theshaft may swing back and forth in the bearing 41'.

' A collar 50 is mounted slidably on the rod 34 'and'a coil spring 5|has one end received by a passage in said collar while the other end ofthe spring is received by a passage in a hanger 52 "end of the hanger'52 and projects horizontally toward theside wall :22 of the casing Ill.

Archer 54 mounted on the axle has one end of a coiled An intermediateportion '56' o'fthe wire extends downwardlyand a 3 coil 51 thereof iswound on the shaft 38. The free end of the coil 51 is secured to saidshaft. When the shaft 38 is revolved in one direction the wire is woundon said shaft and withdrawn from the roller or spool 54. The spool orroller 54 (Figure 5) is hollow and houses a coil spring 58 received bythe axle 53. One end of the spring is fixed to a. collar 59 rigid withthe axle 53. The other end of the spring is secured to the roller 54.

A lever 60 having a finger piece BI is pivoted intermediate its ends onthe axle 24. The lower portion 62 of the lever is located normally in avertical line while the upper portion 63 is bent at an angle towards thefront of the typewriter. The lower end of the lever has a collar 64receiving the shaft 38 (Figure 2).

A toothed wheel 65 is secured to the shaft 38 adjacent the lower end ofthe lever 60. The teeth of said wheel are adapted to mesh with the teethof a ratchet wheel I2 secured to the shaft I3 of the roller I4.

The casing III has its side Walls 2| and '22 secured by bolts I (Figure4) to the opposite side walls 'II of the housing for the typewriter II.In applying the casing III to the typewriter, it is only necessary tobore and thread passages in the side walls of the typewriter housingadjacent the rear end thereof.

The operation of my device is as follows: In order to set the slide 25on the bar 20, the length of the paper used must be known. If the lengthof the paper is eleven inches and a lower margin of one inch is desired,the indicator is positioned on the graduation I0 and the slide 25 isfixed in place on the bar 20 by the set screw 26.

The finger piece of the lever 68 is pulled towards the operator wherebythe rod 34 and shaft 38 will be swung on the hinge pin 32 (Figure 3) sothat the wheel 65 will be moved away from the Wheel I2. The typist maythen insert the necessary sheet of paper in the typewriter. After thepaper has been properly positioned, the lever 68 is returned so that thetoothed wheel 65 will be in mesh with the wheel I2.

Each time the typist actuates the lever I5 of the line spacing mechanismof the typewriter, the ratchet wheel I2 is moved one tooth and the wheel65 is similarly rotated. Rotation of the wheel 65 causes rotation of theshaft 38 so that the crosshead is moved progressively from right to leftin Figure 2. When the shaft 38 is revolved the wire 55 (Figures 2 and 5)is wound on said shaft and unwound from roller 54. At the same time,coil spring 58 is being progressively wound on axle 53 by the revolvingroller with increased tension. However, when the toe 43 strikes thefinger 21, the shaft 38 can no longer be rotated and the typist is thuswarned that the lower margin stop mechanism has completed its functionand it is time to remove the paper.

The lever 60 is now operated to release the wheel 65 from its engagementwith the wheel l2. Since the wheel 65 is free to rotate, the spring '58will reversely revolve the roller 54 and cause the coil 5'! to revolvethe shaft 38 in the opposite direction. This action causes the crosshead4D to be returned automatically to the bumper 58 on the rod 34.

The crosshead 40 is in the form of a nut which is held against rotationby the guide rod 34. The roller 42 in the crosshead tends to preventbinding of said crosshead on the rod. The movable collar 50 on the rod34 not only cushions the returned crosshead but the spring 5| beingunder slight pressure by the crosshead tends to initiate movement of thecrosshead when the shaft 38 is initially rotated by the wheel 65.

What I claim:

1. In a typewriter having a ratchet wheel for controlling the linespacing, a lower margin stop mechanism comprising a casing, a screwshaft mounted for rotation in the casing, a guide rod spaced from theshaft, a crosshead slidable on the rod and provided with an internallythreaded passage to receive the screw shaft, a toothed wheel fixed toone end of the shaft and adapted to mesh with the usual ratchet wheel ofthe platen shaft of the typewriter, resilient means connecting the shaftwith the rod so that when the shaft is revolved in one direction by theintermeshing wheels, the resilient means will be placed under tension tocause rotation of the shaft in the opposite direction, a graduated barmounted in the casing parallel with the rod, a stop adjustable along thebar and adapted to be engaged by the crosshead to limit travel of thecrosshead on the rod, a hinged mounting on one wall of the casing, oneend of the rod and shaft being carried by the hinged mounting, thetoothed wheel on the shaft being movable away from the ratchet wheelwhen the shaft is oscillated, and a lever pivoted in the casing forcontrolling swingin movement of the shaft.

2. In a typewriter having a platen, a ratchet wheel connected to theplaten and a manually ctuated pawl for rotating the wheel and platen tospace the typing lines, a lower margin stop mechanism comprising acasing, a hinge mounted on one side wall of the casing, a screw shafthaving one end mounted for rotation on the hinge, a nut threaded ontothe shaft, an adjustable stop in the rectilinear path of the nut, meanspreventing rotation of the nut, means supporting the stop, toothed wheelfixed to the other end of the shaft and swingable with the shaft towardsor away from the ratchet wheel, a manual means for oscillating the shaftand moving the toothed wheel into mesh with the ratchet wheel forcausing rotation of the screw shaft when the ratchet wheel is revolvedand resilient means operatively connected with the screw shaft adaptedto be placed under tension when the screw shaft is rotated by thetoothed wheel until the nut engages the stop, removal of the toothedwheel from the ratchet Wheel releasing the resilient means under tensionand causing reverse rotation of the shaft and the return of the nut fromthe stop.

3. In a typewriter having a ratchet wheel for controlling the linespacing, a lower margin stop mechanism comprising a casing, a screwshaft,

means hingedly mounting one end of the shaft on one side wall of thecasing, an elongated open bearing on the opposite side wall of thecasing, manual means for supporting and swinging the other end of theshaft back and forth in the open bearing, a toothed wheel on the secondend of the shaft adapted to be moved into mesh with the ratchet wheelwhen the shaft is oscillated, a nut receiving the screw shaft, meansretaining the nut against rotation when the shaft is rotated to providea rectilinear movement of the nut along the shaft, an adjustable stopadapted to be engaged by the nut to limit the travel of said nut whenthe indicated lower marginhas been reached, said screw shaft adapted tobe rotated in one direction when the ratchet wheel is revolved, and aresilient means connected with the shaft and adapted to be placed undertension when the shaft is revolved by the toothed wheel, said resilientmeans reversely rotating the shaft when the toothed wheel is releasedfrom the ratchet Wheel. v

4. In a typewriter having a ratchet wheel for controlling the linespacing, a lower margin stop mechanism comprising a casing, a shaft,means swingably mounting one end of the shaft in the casing, a toothedwheel on the other end of the shaft and adapted to be moved into meshwith the ratchet wheel by the swinging shaft, a crosshead on the shaft,cooperative means between 4 the shaft and the crosshead for moving thecrosshead rectilinearly when the shaft is rotated in one direction bythe intermeshing wheels, a resilient means connected to the shaft andplaced under tension when the shaft is rotated by the toothed wheel forrevolving the shaft reversely after the toothed wheel has been releasedfrom the ratchet wheel, an adjustable stop disposed in the path of themoving crosshead, the position of the stop along the path of thecrosshead. determining the width of the lower margin, and manual meansfor moving the shaft on the swinging mounting.

5. In a typewriter having a ratchet wheel for controlling the linespacing, a lower margin stop mechanism comprising a casing, a shaft,means swingably mounting one end of the shaft in the casing, a toothedwheel on the other end of the shaft and adapted to be moved into meshwith the ratchet wheel by the swinging shaft, a crosshead on the shaft,cooperative means between the shaft and the crosshead for moving thecross= head rectilinearly when the shaft is rotated in one direction bythe intermeshing wheels, a resilient means connected to the shaft andplaced under tension when the shaft is rotated by the toothed wheel forrevolving the shaft reversely after the toothed wheel has been releasedfrom the ratchet wheel, an adjustable stop disposed in the path of themoving crosshead, the position of the stop along the path of thecrosshead determining the width of the lower margin, and manual meansfor moving the shaft on the swinging mounting, said casing completelyhousing the lower margin stop mechanism to form a unit adapted to besecured to the rear end of the typewriter housing so that the toothedwheel may mesh with the ratchet wheel.

COLUMBUS H. CASTLEBERRY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,402,936 Slocum June 25, 1946FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 43,025 Denmark 1930

